Oni are two-legged creatures usually portrayed with sharp claws, wild
hair, two horns and skin of various colors.†
In the earliest legends, oni
were benevolent creatures said to be able to ward off evil and malevolent
spirits and to punish evil-doers.†
Japanese Buddhism incorporated these beliefs by the thirteenth century
making them the guardians of hell or the tormentors of the wicked there.† Oni also
came to be recognized as spirits (kami)
in Shintoism.† Over time, they came to be
seen as harbingers or agents of calamity.†
The series is not listed in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson
(Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961).†
The images are each about 7 by 10 inches (18 by 25 centimeters), a size
known as chŻban.† Two images were printed on a sheet of paper
about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as Űban.

The red oni in the right upper corner has
five drums with the mitsu tomoye
(three commas) design.† These drums are
associated with thunder and also with the thunder god, knows as either
Raijin or as Kaminari Sama).† There
is a common Japanese folk story that oni cause thunder and lightning so
that they can steal children's belly buttons.† This story is often employed to get
children to wear warm clothing in the rain.†

NOTE: This
is the only print on this webpage bearing the seal of the publisher, Yeshima
(left lower corner).